


Light of The Strays

by ChemicalNovember



Category: Percy Jackson and the Olympians & Related Fandoms - All Media Types
Genre: Devil May Cry 3 AU, Enemies in Devil May Cry 3, Hansel and Gretel AU, M/M, More tags will be added as the story progresses, Octavian is an evil fairy, Sleeping Beauty AU, Will is a prince and a healer, Witches, good fairy Rachel, solangelo
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-04-11
Updated: 2017-04-26
Packaged: 2018-06-01 15:22:54
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 4
Words: 11,331
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6525658
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ChemicalNovember/pseuds/ChemicalNovember
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>“Come on Nico,” Bianca tugged her brother’s hand forward, leading him deeper into the forest.</p><p>“But I can’t run anymore.” Nico stammered, keeping his breath up and trying his best not to trip on the rocky path. It could’ve been days now, or weeks, or even months and Bianca lost track of time. She’s been busy protecting Nico from the horde of Cyclopes and other monsters while following the tracks of the Lamia that kidnapped Hazel. There was a tiny chance of survival and they could do nothing but hope that Hazel is still alive.</p><p>Nico and Bianca looks for their younger sister who was kidnapped by Lamia, and Will was the cursed prince.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Beginning

**Author's Note:**

> Bianca, Nico, and Hazel are siblings by Maria di Angelo in this fic so... just go with it. This is a bit rushed and, this is my first Solangelo fic. :)
> 
> Enjoy!

Chapter 1:

“Come on Nico,” Bianca tugged her brother’s hand forward, leading him deeper into the forest.

“But I can’t run anymore.” Nico stammered, keeping his breath up and trying his best not to trip on the rocky path. It could’ve been days now, or weeks, or even months and Bianca lost track of time. She’s been busy protecting Nico from the horde of Cyclopes and other monsters while following the tracks of the Lamia that kidnapped Hazel. There was a tiny chance of survival and they could do nothing but hope that Hazel was still alive.

Running away from home was far from her options at first because aside from Bianca’s just a year older from her twelve year old brother, they have no where to run to. Their dad, Hades, was the last person they have since their mom passed away after a terrible sickness befallen her. It’s hard to move on with only the three of them for each other because their dad seems somewhat distant and after their loss.

They all understood that, but still it wasn’t an excuse to neglect them. Much to his anger to him that they haven’t completely recovered from her death yet he remarries again.  
Hades brought home a fair maiden named Menthe. At first she seemed kind and okay, but that was until one day Hades didn’t come home and the night was accompanied with heavy rain. Bianca was reading a bedtime story to Nico and Hazel when Menthe entered the room. She stood on the doorway, eyes fixated on the three of them before she transformed into a monster. Her eyes fell out, her teeth became shark-like and was dripping with blood Nico still have dreams about it, and he wished it’ll go away the farther they got from their old homestead.

 

“Come on up on my back, I’ll carry you.” Bianca knelt on the ground, waiting for Nico to hop on her back.

Nico halt behind Bianca, “No, I’d just slow us down, I’ll stick to running till were safe… but… Let me just…” he said between his breaths and held up one finger in the air. When he regained his normal breathing he nodded to Bianca and head deeper to the forest.

It was already sun down when they came by an old looking and creepy cottage. “Well, it seems like we’re going to spend the night here.” Bianca smiled at his brother. It’d be dark soon and they don’t know what sort of danger lurks and might jump on them from the woods

“Are you sure about that Bi?” Nico asked in disbelief. He’s not afraid of haunted house and violent spirits, poltergeist, or whatever the heck there is but something heavy and dark was surrounding the house was making him feel unease. “I’ve got a bad feeling over there.”

“We don’t have a choice we’ll be safer here, I guess.” She shook her head and took his hand, leading him on the doorsteps. Hesitation and disbelief was obvious from the tone of her voice. “Well, its better than to be exposed to the enemies.”

Nico wanted to argue with his sister when shrill shrieks nearby made him change his mind. “Okay, I guess it won’t hurt to stay the night here.” Upon opening the door, cold air greets them and faint wailing of lost souls screams inside his head. It will be a long night.

____

 

King Apollo had never been this happy all throughout his life.

He played a tune out of his lyre, and smiling non stop over the beautiful baby boy sleeping inside the crib. After the long years of waiting, he finally had a successor who will inherit the throne and protect the land someday, that’s why Apollo named him Wilhelm, and calls him Will for short. 

A magnificent feast was made after Will’s christening. Everyone throughout the land was invited, including all six good faeries as guests of honor. The first five of them gave him their gifts and all to the Prince. The sixth faery was about to bestow her gift when Octavian, the seventh faery made a dramatic entrance in the throne room with a cloud of smoke.  
Octavian was the kind of faery that bitches at everything, and things always go sour and fights followed wherever he went. He was invited, really, but not as guest of honor like the other six and that alone hurt his feelings, out of his bitterness he screamed a curse.

“On his sixteenth birthday, this land will enfold with darkness and the Prince will prick his finger on a needle and die.” So saying, he disappeared with the same dramatic cloud of smoke.

A terrible silence fell upon the room. The king and queen wept bitter tears for their son’s misfortune. Then Rachel, the sixth faery spoke. “I cannot undo the curse, but can soften it.” She said, green mist starts to curl around her, and her voice sounded like three persons talking at the same time. “The prince will not die but will fall into a deep sleep for a hundred years. The land enfold with darkness will unravel from its spell when the darkness itself become the prince’s light.”

Apollo looks at Rachel with confused facial expression. “What do you mean ‘the land enfold in darkness will unravel from its spell when the darkness itself become the prince’s light.’?”

“That is for the prophecy to fulfil my king.” Rachel bowed, “This is the best I can do to soften it.”

Apollo gazed sadly at his son. The queen stood from her throne and wrapped her arms around her husband. “It’s going to be okay,” She said, cradling his head on her arms, “what matters most is he’ll not die, right? We’ve got plenty of years to spend with him before he turns sixteen.”

Apollo looks up on his wife. He smiled but it didn’t reach his eyes. “Yeah… you’re right.”


	2. Stars, Moon, Sun

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I really am sorry it took me so long to post the second chapter. But I'll 'TRY' to update weekly. Or once every two weeks.
> 
> I've been very busy playing Call of Duty 2, reading a book, and doing other stuffs this past weeks. Sorry. :(  
> Can't promise anything, can't promise to update weekly our internet connection is very.... *groans* and I can't focus on writing when I'm reading something. Once I lay my hands on either the book or laptop's keyboard It feels like I'm deciding whether to choose sprinkles or white chocolate for toppings again. I can't choose between the two so I ended up choosing marshmallows.
> 
> Hope you enjoy to read this! Have a nice day! :)

The old house fits the stereotype idea of being old and haunted. Its rooms were barren and dusty, the wall paint was faded to ash grey and the ambiance was way too cold, dark, and lifeless like there are ghosts wandering in and outside the cottage. Nico doesn’t really mind as long as Bianca’s safe, besides he’s used to see apparitions. He’s almost near calling the place ‘comfortable’ if only it didn’t seem like it was thickly veiled with magic.

He lighted the fireplace to warm them and took the first watch to let Bianca get some rest. He scooted closer to her, watching her sleep as she’s curled up beside him on the floor.  
Her face was serene, the steady rise and fall of her chest immediately brought peacefulness in his heart. It’s been long since the last time he saw her like this, with or without a double barrel shotgun still clasped in her hands. 

Ever since Maria di Angelo died, Bianca’s the one who stood as the head of their household. She played both roles as mother and father as well being a sister all at the same time, it must’ve been hard. Nico never knew, and wishes that he can do something like that. It’s one of the reasons why he had always envied his sisters, they can do anything, and everything he’s never capable of. It might the reason why he thought Bianca’s a superhero. She’s strong and not easy to break. She handled everything calmly even though things were way too fucked up to take in sometimes. That’s why he always looks up to her and to their little sister, Hazel.  
‘Oh god’s Hazel.’

The thought of her sent a pang of guilt to him. It struck like an arrow on his chest soon as she crossed his mind. This isn’t the first time he’d ever let himself think that it’s his entire fault it’s actually going on for days now. He blamed himself for it. If only he smashed Lamia’s head with the wood axe he hid under his bed, Hazel would still be with them. Now, he wonders if it’d be better if he’s the one who was taken away.

Tears rolled down his cheeks, he put his hand over his mouth to contain the sobs that’s attempting to push out of his lips.  
Well, he might add that to his list of ‘What I’m good at’.

• To feel helpless and be a burden to someone.

 

“Nico?” Bianca opened her eyes, blinking at her brother who quickly wiped his own tears from his cheeks. She reacted quickly and like a flash of lightning she’s already up shotgun ready, she turned and shoved Nico behind her. Her eyes scanned the room to look for any threats or danger. “What happened? Are you okay?” she turned to face him.

“Yeah,” He said flatly, obviously avoiding meeting her eyes. “No monster. Go back to sleep, something just caught in my eye.”

“Nico,” She sighed tiredly and rubbed her eyes with the back of her hand as if to rub the sleep away. “I’d certainly buy it if this isn’t the tenth night that something got caught in your eye then sobs a lot.” 

“It’s the twelfth now.”

“See?” she yawned and returned back to her brother’s side, wrapping an arm around him. “I know its terrifying and hard Neeks, I am scared too. You could talk to me you don’t have to hide it.” 

There’s a certain press on the word ‘hide’. Nico knew she knows that something was up, and she’s just waiting for him to open up to her. Nico looks down on his lap. It’s not like he’s hiding it and wants to keep it from her, he just don’t want her to worry. Or hate him. They promised to each other, well, the three of them that they will not keep things from one another. But there wasn’t a perfect timing to talk about it to her because of the monsters that kept trying to eat them every minute. This might be the only chance he would ever have to explain and confess things to her.

Tears clouded over his eyes but he held them at keep it at bay. He’s not sure whether it’s because of the fear she’ll hate him for what he’d done or for what he had not done.

“It’s my entire fault.” He whispered to the air after the long while that seemed like hours but was only a few mere minutes. He quickly let go of the tears as the words that will come next registered on his head. Lump formed on his throat, but he swallowed it to choke the words between his sobs. “I let Lamia take Hazel.”

Bianca frowned at her brother before she hushed him and cradled his head on her arms. “Shhh, it’s not your fault.”

Nico shooks his head, “It is… Menthe was killed before she even entered our room. I didn’t think it would really happen… maybe if…If I…” He swallows. “Maybe if I told you about it maybe Hazel would not be taken away by that monster.”

“Neeks,” she put her fingers under his chin and lift his head to meet her concern laced eyes. “If you want me to understand what you’re saying you got to explain from the top, okay?”

Nico nodded. He calmed himself before he spoke again.

“I tried to call forth mom’s ghost one night. It wasn’t she who answered, the apparition led me to old Daedalus maze ruins,” he started, “There I met the ghost of king Minos, he said he’ll teach me the art of resurrection in exchange for a soul. I almost traded mine when Thanatos appeared, he showed me the three headed- dog Cerberus. He said that if I try to bring her back to life, Cerberus might’ve destroyed her if she dared to set a foot out from Fields of Asphodel. I offered my soul to him just for mom to live again-”

“Son of Hades- Why would you do that Nico?” She snapped her Italian accent surfaces.

Like a flash of lightning, Bianca’s concerned and calm expression quickly switched into her overprotective-sister-mode which looks like her battle-face. Her glare looks like a mix of disappointed, mad, hurt, and worried look. She pinched him, hard enough to hurt, on his side. “I know she’s our mother and I’ll certainly do the same thing but the dead have rules you have to respect and follow. There’s a reason she got sick, you can’t just go and offer yourself like servants of Admetus.”

His face distorts to a pained expression which quickly turned to blank. It’s the second time he sees her that angry. The first was when their dad married Menthe. Her pinch didn’t seriously hurt, but her disappointment burns like cyanide through his skin.

“I know.” He said quietly after a while. He pulled himself away from her and shrinks himself into a ball. “I’m sorry… I just miss her badly, Bi. I thought I need to do something to make my life worth.” He looks like a puppy being scold by its master. Seeing him like that quickly milden her sudden outburst, she immediately regretted that she snapped at him.

“Live it,” she whispered and puts a hand on Nico’s back and traced comforting circles. Her gaze softens but her brows were still furrowed. “Live it to its fullest to make it worth. I’m her daughter too Nico. Her death is bad enough for us before we even got to this worse situation. Promise me you’ll never do that again.”

Nico raised his head to look at her. “Promise me Nicola.”

He grimaced at the name but nods to his sister’s teary eyes.

“I promise.”

Bianca studied his face for a little while before she motioned him to proceed.

“Like what you said, it’s against the rules of the dead. Instead, he grants me ‘the gift of Orcus’. I don’t really know what that is or what that was for. That was the last day I ever gone to the ruins and the day I start having visions. I dreamt the night before Lamia took Hazel. I saw Menthe brutally killed by Lamia, she tore her eyes and insides out, and wore her skin… there’s so much blood… she ripped her organs out… Menthe was conscious till she rips her heart out. I can still hear her wails.” Nico paled, his shoulders start to shake, and his hands trembled at the memory. It was a gruesome homicide scene that looks as much of an animal at slaughter house.

Nico’s breath intakes turned fast and ragged as if an iron grip clenches on both his heart and lungs that’s preventing him to breathe. Bianca took his hand and told him to look at her and copy her breathing. Nico watched her take deep slow breaths through her nose before releasing them through her mouth. He complied. He focused his attention to her warm, beautiful chocolate eyes like his, till he calmed down. He took one last shaky breath before he proceeds again. “It’s horrible... I don’t know if they’re still dreams or they’re visions but Hazel’s alive. She escaped, the trails we follow isn’t Lamia’s anymore, but Hazel’s.”

Her eyes widened in both surprise and relief. “How? Wait, so that means she’s safe now?”

“I don’t know and I can’t tell, but I can sense she’s alive. I see things in my dreams, well most of it, sometimes its clear and most times its blurry.”

“So you’re having visions that lead us to where Hazel might be.” Bianca muttered to herself. Her eyes fixed on the corner her lips tugged upwards. Still, Nico wonders if she’s mad at him. The silence fell between them seemed to stretch forever.

“Do you hate me, for keeping it all from you?” Nico voiced his fear that immediately took Bianca’s attention. If Nico’s being honest to all things, he was not, even the tiniest bit, afraid of those monsters they previously met on the woods, but Lamia was an absolute exception. Losing Hazel is bad enough but if Bianca hates him for his cowardice to speak up and reckless stupidity, he’ll end up losing everything.

“Nico,” Bianca reached to cup Nico’s face and looks at his eyes. “I don’t. Don’t ever think that I’ll hate you, okay? We only got each other, for now, but still it’s not your fault. ” She reassured him. “Whatever happened at the ruins, it’s a blessing in disguise. Whatever happens and whoever you will be, always remember that I will love you for who you are, understand?”

“Me too,” Relieved, Nico nods and wrapped his arms tightly around Bianca. “Promise that you’ll never leave me Bi.”

“I won’t Neeks.” She smiled down at him. “I promise.”

Nico buried his face on Bianca’s shoulder and cried his heart out. It was because he’s grateful of having all those things off his chest and having a sister to bring him solace. Bianca hummed the lullaby Maria di Angelo used to sing before they sleep. It’s what Nico exactly need, no sooner his eyes grew tired and heavy. He didn’t notice that he was dozing off. The last thing he remembered was Bianca whispering “Sweet dreams, El mio tesoro.”

 

****

 

He woke up in a dream. Nico woke up under the million of neon blue stars twinkling down on him. The cold night breeze swept his hair in all directions so it seems like his head was bat’s nest.

It’s happening again.

He stood up, eyes wandering to his surrounding trying to figure out where he was this time. He took a step forward. He heard a soft crack underneath where his right foot landed before he almost slipped off the maroon tiled roof he stood on.

He might’ve plunged down to his death if he hadn’t quickly taken a step backwards to avoid the fall.

‘Holy shit that was close.’ He thought then realized his feet barely touch the tiled roof. “Wait, I can fly in my dream?”

He lifted himself up and floated in the air. He feels so awesome like he’s a superhero. He moved a little bit away from what he could tell is a tower made out of large block of white stones.

‘A kingdom’ he guesses. He sat on the ledge of the tower’s open window instead of entering the dark chamber so that whatever lurks there attacks him he can easily jump out the window and escape. He squinted at the woods near the castle. The last time he saw Hazel on his dreams, she was running aimlessly at the woods with tall trees and lots of bug. 

She had scratches on her cheeks and arms. There’s a big wound near her elbow and couple of bruises to her shins and fore arm. Nico felt rage bubbled on his stomach. He’ll make whoever or whatever the bastard hell did that to her pay for it.

“Hello?”

Nico nearly jumped off the window in surprise, he whipped his head around so fast that it almost hurt. The dark room was now illuminated with a candle. The candlestick was resting on a small desk along with the stacks of books and ink well and a quill, he didn’t notice earlier, just a few inches below the window he’s sitting on. On the further left was a big, messy bed with lots of disarrayed pillows, and across from it was a dresser and beside it a cabinet. The floor was covered by crimson red coloured rug like what you mostly see on royalties’ floor, and far across the room was, from what he guess, was the stair that leads down to the ground floor.

Standing in front of him is a blond boy, who seems about a bit older his age, dressed in his yellow pyjamas printed with smiling orange suns with shades. If Nico wasn’t startled at the moment he would’ve laugh at the boy. His hair was messy and sticking in all direction like he just gotten up out of bed. His eyes were half opened with drowsiness. Bianca always told him not to talk to strangers and never accept anything if someone gave him candy or whatever the stranger would give to him, because he lures children to follow him then eat them alive.

But the boy was just as old as him and his face seems kind, and the way he loosely grip the bronze sword on his hand made him looks less of a threat.

“Who are you?” Nico asked, once again breaking the rules of gravity. He found it weird that he hadn’t heard him light the candle or that he didn’t even heard him get out of bed.

The blond boy’s eyes widened in astonishment, it was so blue even if the only light was from the candle. “You can fly?” he hopped a few step towards Nico and took his hand and pulled him towards him. Nico felt an electric current went down his spine when their hands came in contact. He pulled his hand quickly away from the boy’s grip but keeps drifting towards him and didn’t tear his gaze off the boy’s blue eyes.

It wasn’t like the sky or the typical blue someone might find. It’s like the blueness of water when summer, or dark to lighter hue of cobalt blue. Nico can’t quite put the colour into words, but he’s certain for one thing. It’s the most beautiful colour he’s ever seen.

The boy’s face broke into a toothy grin after Nico’s question registered on his brain. “I should be the one asking that. Who are you?”

“Are you an alien?” he asked as if he’s talking to a five year old.

“No.” Nico answered plainly.

He flashed him a blinding smile with his perfectly aligned and pearl white teeth. “Good, so what exactly are you? Are you like… the Boogey man? Pfft, Nah, you’re too adorable, Sand man then? No? You must be the tooth fairy-”

Nico was immediately cut off from his awe to the boy. “Do I look like a girl to you? Do I have sparkly wings and wand? No, because I-”

“-Or my fairy god mother.”

”-and certainly am not your fairy god mother.”

“If you’re not my fairy god mother then why are you watching me sleep?” He asked. Smile still plastered on his face.

Nico frowned at the words the boy used. “I do not watch you sleep. I just happened to be on stranger’s dream.”

His mouth formed a small ‘o’. “You must be a dream walker but that’s sort of impossible.” the boy pinched himself on his arm and said ‘ow’. “I’m up all night. And I could touch you."

Nico turned away and mutters to himself. “Oh good, half of my being is wandering again.”

“So what’s your name?” the boy asked, settling down on the floor.

He turned again to the older boy. He’s contemplating whether to answer his question or not when the boy spoke again.

“I’m Will. Will Solace.” He held out his right hand, totally forgetting the fact that he has sword that he accidentally thrust his sword forward almost impaling Nico’s stomach. Nico was fast to react and moved backwards.

“Sorry.” Blush crept to Will’s cheeks and threw the sword to the other side of room. The blond tugged Nico to sit down on the chair but he settled to float in the air like Marceline the Vampire Queen or in his case Marshall Lee the Vampire.

“It’s okay.” Nico wonders if this boy usually talks to all strangers he might find in the middle of the night, and tries to kill them accidentally.

“And you are?”

Nico sensed something. The pit of his gut twisted and his olfactory recognized the coppery scent of blood.  
Hazel was the first thought came to his head. Maybe he’ll see her again, maybe that’s the reason he’s here. 

“Leaving.” Nico answered and already half way outside the window when Will reached for his wrist.

“Wait-“

Nico dissolved into the shadows that cocooned him like octopus’s arms.


	3. Solar Eclipse

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn’t mean to put off this fic for a month. There are just so many things going on lately. And there are a lot of distractions. I am very sorry.

  


 Nico was glad he didn’t break any bones or get any serious injuries when he fell to the ground. His vision swims in vertigo. That thing he did was something he didn’t know he’s capable of. (Mostly because he never tried and he doesn’t know that he can. Maybe it’s because of Orcus’s gift.)

He wondered if he can do it again when he’s wide awake, like when his spiritual half isn’t separated from his body, or whatever it was called when he’s wandering somewhere in the face of earth. It’d be cool if he can levitate like Marshall Lee, but he’s a vampire, and Nico’s not.

He almost jumped when someone groaned beneath him, and just then he realized that something’s wrapped around him.

His first instinct was to withdraw and run away as far as he could get from where he was. He successfully crawled off but before he could even take a step, dizziness shot like a rocket to his head. He stumbled forward and fell on his face when a hand reached out and grabbed his ankle. Nico look down to the -obviously human- hand up to where the head of the person is.

The trees around them obscured the faint light, making it hard for Nico to see the person’s face but the dim moonbeam that passes through the trees illuminates a blond hair. He remembered that that Will boy grab a hold on his wrist when he shadow traveled. Will must’ve fallen right into him.

Nico huffed in annoyance. He forced to shake away the dizziness in his head before he sat up, rubbing his bruised chin then knelt down beside Will.

“You okay?” he asked, eyes glaring at the boy.

“N-no.” Will croaked. “We just fell off a tree. What’s that trick you did?”  
Nico stood up, head still spinning. He put a hand against the trunk of the tree to support himself up. He reached his hand out to help Will get up. “I don’t know. It’s the first time I ever did that.”

 “I thought you’d fly.” Will accepted his hand and pulled himself up and brushed the dust off his pyjamas. His eyes roamed on the trees. “Why are we here?”

Nico ignored him because he even he, doesn’t have a single clue. He sniffed the air like a dog. He sense none of Hazel’s scent or feel her presence, or any of trails of her.

He decided that it was neither a good thing nor bad since something seemed off about the scent his olfactory has picked up. It was certainly blood but it was mixed with faint smell of incense.

He shoved branches off of his face as he weaves through and made his progress forward. The trees stood high like pitch black creepy hands with thick black and silver leaves.

 “Where are you going???” Will asked trailing behind him.

Nico didn’t answer.

“Hey.” Will puts a hand on Nico’s shoulder.

Nico halts and turn around. “What?”

“Where are we going?”

“I’m looking for my sister.” He shrugged Will’s hand off his shoulder.

“Oh… Then why did you bring me with you?”

“You grabbed my wrist,” Nico corrected, “And I have nothing to do with you.”

He walks off again. Grass and fallen leaves ruffles under his worn out converse. His black jeans were as dirty and tattered as his clothes. The jeans fit just right but the shirt was a bit big on him. He doesn’t really care because he liked the skull print on the black shirt, and they didn’t have the time to be picky when they’re just stealing clean laundry from someone’s clothesline.

Bianca said it wasn’t stealing because she plans on returning it someday, but borrowing without someone’s permission counted as stealing to Nico. Except that his ‘ _borrowed’_ clothes didn’t count as stealing for him if the Stoll brothers, who happened to be the owners of the clothes he’s wearing, had _‘borrowed’_ quite a lot things from him without permission and return none of it until this very day. He thought of it as trade.

“Wait, so you’re not Peter Pan in disguise?”

Nico paused for a sec and turned, surprised. Will looked at him with shocked eyes and mouth agape. Nico thought it’s too much of a reaction. _Why would someone think of him as Peter Pan???_

 “Do I look like someone who dresses in leaves and cobwebs????”

“No, but you’re a kid who can fly.” Will said, “And if so, you’d look like Peter Pan’s evil twin that looks like grim reaper’s apprentice.”

Nico wrinkled his eyebrows. “I look evil?”

Will eyebrows furrowed slightly, a finger tapping on his cheek. “No but you look like death.”

Nico rolled his eyes and mumbled, “Gee thanks. My sister used to say the opposite to boost out my self-esteem but now you crushed my confidence before I can even get myself a friend.”

“You don’t have a friend?”

“Who would want to be friends with a kid who looks like death?”

“Sorry. I didn’t mean it like that. It was-”

“No, its okay---“

“But you don’t have a friend!” he protests.

“Look,” Nico cut him off, “it doesn’t matter. I’m invisible in school anyways.”

“But that’s horrible.”

Nico rolled his eyes again. “It wasn’t that bad, I’m used to it.” He doesn’t need sympathy from an unknown stranger whom he just met a few minutes ago. How did they end up talking about that? “Why are we even talking about me anyways? Shouldn’t you be fleeing away for your life?”

“Why?” Will asked.

“Well,” Nico glanced at Will. “I’m a mysterious kid, who isn’t Peter Pan, and popped out of nowhere in your window then emerged from shadows. I have no friends and I wear these.” He gestured at his dirty clothes, “Don’t you think I may be some kind of child devouring monster. You’re weaponless. I can murder you right now and then. There’s no one but trees to witness the gruesome murder, and I can fly off the distance before someone can even find your body.”

“Well, if you really are a child devouring _kid,_ you could’ve already eaten me and I don’t get it. Why would you make yourself look like a child if you know that when you look in the mirror you’ll get hungry?”

“It’d be a lot easier to get along with other kids. Unsuspicious. Easier lunch. Yum.”

“You said you don’t have friends.” Will huffed. “You’re too small and cute to be a child devouring monster.”

Nico turned around, eyes glaring adorably at Will. “I’ll grow up tall someday, a head taller than you so shut up. Go home before I even eat you.”

“Pfft.” Will waved his hand dismissively at Nico, “Nah, I know you won’t. You’re just a normal kid with superpowers.”

“A normal kid who will grow up tall someday.” Nico repeated, “And you’re a weirdo kid who is sleeping at the castle tower with wide open windows.”

“So?”

“…nothing.”

Will smiled. “Are you going to return me back to my tower?”

“Maybe.”

“When?”

“Anytime you want.” Nico said nonchalantly.

“We’re going to fly???”

“No.”

“You’ll sprinkle me some pixie dust?”

“No.”

“Oh! You’re going to do that trick you did earlier?”

“Maybe.”

“What do you call to that trick?”

“Uh… shadow travel?”

“Cool. Can we shadow travel now?”

Nico sighed. “Gimme your hand.”

Will excitedly held out his hand. Nico took it and closed his eyes. He focused on the shadows surrounding him. He waited for the darkness to cocoon them again along with cold shivers up his spine, and strange noises.

He opened his eyes.

_‘Nothing happened.’_

“Is something wrong???” Will asked.

“I can’t do it again.” Nico said.

“What? Why?!” Dread shows on his face.

“I don’t know how.”

“Come on you got to be kidding me!” Will took Nico’s hand and shook it like tomorrow would never come. It was like he’s trying to strangle a fish in hopes of it may accidentally work.

“Leave my hand alone.” Nico snatched his hand back and scowled at Will.

Will sighed dejectedly and flump himself against a tree. “I’m dead.”

“You’re over reacting.” Nico pointed out.

“Am not.” Will looks at him with eyes soaked with self-pity and hopelessness. “You have no idea. I don’t know where we are and I’m going to die here.”

He scowled deeper. Now he had the idea how annoying he might be sometimes when he whined like a five year old to Bianca. “You’re not.”

“Yes I am. Octavian’s going to kill me soon as he learned about me being here. It’ll just be a matter of time”

“Who’s Octavian?” Nico sat beside Will, pulling his knees up to his chest and rocks back and forth.

“You don’t know him?” Will asked, bewildered.

Nico shook his head. “No. should I? Is he a famous person?”

“You’re not from here aren’t you?” Will gave him an incredulous look.

“Now you noticed.” Nico can’t help but to roll his eyes again.

“Yeah. Sorry,” Will rubbed the back of his neck, “where are you from?”

“We’re still talking about this Octavian dude.” He reminded, ignoring the question.

“I know. I was just---… you know… It’s strange that up until the last seven seconds I haven’t even had thought that you might be his newest spawn of hell-”

“Wow, at first you thought I was your fairy godmother then you thought I was Peter Pan and now you think that I’m some spawn of hell sent to kill you? Who do you think I am? Satan?”

Will chuckled, “No Death Boy, you look like a cute grim reaper.”

“Don’t call me Death Boy.” He sneered.

“Okay, fine,” He raised his arms up in defeat. His face turned serious again. “But no, Octavian’s not a person. He’s a faery. An evil faery.”

“Aren’t faeries’ good?”

“Some are not.”

Nico’s mouth formed an ‘o’. “Why would he want to kill you?”

“Well, long story short, my ancestors didn’t get along with some of Octavian’s family tree. I think my granddad did something to them long time ago and now they’re seeking vengeance. Their wrath fallen on me so my dad has to lock me up to prevent the earth monsters from you know…”

“Oh…” Nico’s feature softens. He bowed his head down and studied the dirt on his shoes. Will found a stick and fiddled on its rough surface. “So you’re a prince?”

“Yeah.”

“And that’s why you’re in that castle tower?”

“Yes.”

Nico did what he usually does at this kind of situation. Contemplate and blame himself. He thinks it was his fault that Will was outside instead of where he’s supposed to be. It’s his fault. Again. He did drag him out of that tower, he led him to danger. It’s going to be like Menthe all over again. He didn’t exactly foresee on his dream that Will was going to die, but if he did, all the blame would be on Nico and his newfound power. A thought suddenly fell into his head.

_‘It’s never too late to save someone’s life, unless they stopped breathing.’_

“Do you want to live?”

“Of course I do!”

“Stand up.” Nico commanded. Will confusedly looked at Nico.

“Why?”

“Just do it.”

Will slowly stood up, following Nico and eyeing at him suspiciously as if he’s a jack-in-a-box that’ll pop out any second. He was surprised when Nico spun him around and curled his arms around Will’s torso.

 “H-hey! What are-” Will squiggles his body off of Nico’s arms, heat rising on both his cheeks.

“You wanna fly home or I’ll drop you?” Nico shot him an ominous look. Will frowned before he darts his eyes on his surprisingly now above the ground feet.

A blithe grin spreads on his face suffused with the bliss of his dream came possibly true by the cute grim reaper boy that was a fallen angel from the sky.

“You are Peter Pan.” Will delightfully exclaimed.

“I am not---- _oh_ shit!” Nico cussed when Will almost slipped off his arms. “Put your arms around me, quick!”

Will quickly did as he was told. He faced Nico to give him a smile only to blush a lot more when his nose bumped into him. Their lips were dangerously close to one another that startled Nico and almost drop him, again, from the height.

The both of them quickly turned their head away to hide their obviously flushed face. “D-don’t squirm. You’re heavy.” Nico adjusted his arms to get a firm grip on Will and trying his hard not to drop him on the ground. “Now tell me where we are.”

Will shook the awkwardness off of him and roamed his eyes below, enjoying so much of their eagle eyed view, and then he spotted something.

“Look we’re just a couple of miles away from the Casteluciferis.” Will held up his free hand and pointed his finger at the far north east horizon.

Nico turned, he squint his eyes on the small-looking toy-version of a tall castle made out of quartz resting on the cliff top. The top window of its turret was blazing faint yellow light where Nico guessed was where they were earlier before he shadow traveled. The place was surrounded by tall stone walls.

Mist hung above the tall trees around the castle walls creating an enchanting effect to the domain plus the east coast where the sea glitters silver from the moonlight.

“Oh! Oh! See that beautiful mountain there?” Will moved his hand to their left and Nico followed his gaze to the direction being pointed. “It was named after our beautiful earth mother. There was a myth about her that says that she’s the earth mother herself, and some says she was an oread (a mountain nymph) that was head over heels in love with her mortal lover. But then one day, she discovered that the man had an affair with another woman. Gaea was devastated so she eruct a mountain and made a land slide that killed him. They said they honor and offer flowers and fruits to appease her anger.”

The curves of the mountain crest forms a shape of a lady lying under the sky as if star gazing. Nico thinks it’s cool. He tilted his head on the side, wondering how flowers and fruits appease a broken heart.

He’d seen his dad on his crackbrained state when he lost their mom. He looks like hell and awful, his eyes were brimmed red from crying and there were dark circles under his eyes. He didn’t sleep, or eat, and he mostly spends his time away from home or goes wandering to the woods more often than usual, neglecting his children and all.

Not a damn thing made him snap back to his senses. Now Will was telling him that they appease a deity by doing that? Offering flowers and girly things? What the f-? That Gaea just killed the man she loved then she was just given flowers and fruits and everything’s okay again? What the serious actual fff-???

“It was just a myth.” Will said after a while, Nico must’ve been thinking out loud.

“Oh.”

“Yeah… But I still visit her shrine though.”

“Ah.”

Will smiled at him and then settled in to silence when Nico seemed to have nothing more to say

Nico was lost at his own thoughts reminiscing about his mother. She liked flowers too. They used to have a garden outside their small home.

Nico gazed on the mountain for a long while before something caught in the corner of his eyes. Swarms of red bird-like creatures come hovering outside the castle tower like of moths into flame.

“Hey, what are those?” It was hard to see at such distance but Nico could make out the green eyes. They came from a certain direction from their left which was not too far from the castle.

“Blood-goyles.” Will whispered, “Put us down, quick!”

“What are blood-goyles?” Nico asked. He had seen Lamia, Cyclopes, Werewolves, and a bunch of other monsters. It didn’t surprise him that much to see blood-goyles, but then again he thinks they’re cool. Dangerously cool.

“Stone birds made out of blood and magic.” Will said soon as their feet touches the ground. “Swords are useless, they just split in half.”

 He pointed to the direction where the blood-goyles seem to come from. “We have to go there. I can’t let them do any further damage to our kingdom. I have to protect our people.”

Nico gazed sternly at the direction where the blood-goyles come from. “How?”

“I have an idea, come on.”

 

…

 The source of the blood-goyles was an old fountain that stood atop the rubbles of a ruined temple.

It was a bowl-shaped fountain with a single jet in the bowl spraying upward. Instead of water, blood overflows the bowl into the stone statues that supports the basin.

The statues were the petrified state of blood-goyles which look so scary at close. It has bat-like wings, long tails, legless bodies resembling a butterfly’s, grotesque face with beak-like nose, and two short horns. Their eyes glows gold, perhaps it was because of the heavy enchantment that had been cast unto it to bring such thing into life.

“Okay, so my plan is to attack its source, see that glowing stone there?” Will whispered and points to the five feet blood-jetting fountain.

Nico’s head emerged from the bush they’re hiding to see what Will’s talking about.

“It’s a mixture of Orihalcon stone and yellow orb. Orihalcon opens up the doors to Lairs of Judgement while yellow orb recalls the lost spirits. We need to destroy that stone.”

The Orihalcon glows bright yellowish red in the center of the basin where the blood jets upward. Thorned vines sprout from the ground and wounding its way up around the stone enclosing itself as shield.

“What about the blood-goyles?” Nico asks.

“We’ll use Artemis.”

“What?!?”

Will unclasped the golden necklace he’s wearing. He held two items at his open hands. On the right, he exposed two inches-long, sharp-edged green onyx covered in whirls of pale magenta, silver, and gold coat. And on the left side is a small coin-sized golden ball.

Will exposed both items to the moonlight and began to chant. The onyx and gold shimmered and transformed into a silver crossbow and golden sword.

The crossbow has three phases of moon were engraved along the swirling patterns of gold and silver on the swan-like limbs of the crossbow. Each moon phase has a signifying stone embedded to it that looks like a cat’s eye.

Waxing crescent moon embraced the purplish blue stone—essence of intelligence; on the right limb of the crossbow. On the left, waning crescent curled around a crimson red stone—essence of technique. The full moon was engraved on the stock, an avocado-green-colored stone—essence of fighting

 ‘ _Solace_ ’ was engraved in gold on the foregrip of the crossbow along with the smaller stones of the phases of moon.

“I named her Artemis.” Will motioned at his crossbow. He handed Nico the golden sword. “I shoot, you take care of the stone.”

Nico studied the sword. “I don’t understand why you were so worried that Octavian might kill you when you have awesome these weapons.”

Will smiled widely, “I’m a healer, not a fighter.”

 

They jumped out of their hiding spot.

 Will fired laser-like arrows imbued with demon energy at the blood-goyles hovering around the fountain and those that has just emerged from the portal. He shot multiple purple laser beams to the heaven like an acid rain coming down on the enemies, draining the magic and blood in the blood-goyles, disintegrating them into dust. Nico kept his distance close to Will.

Will did a combo of Acid Rain and multi-locking a number of times until they reached the fountain. Instead of diminishing, the number of blood-goyles doubled. Others that had fled towards the castle came, gliding back, to the temple rubbles.

Will fired out laser energy in the form of a giant purple and pink orb that sphere-d around the fountain., protecting him and Nico inside, and momentarily freezing the portal preventing blood-goyles to cross from the Abyss.

“Destroy the stone, this sphere won’t last long!” Will shouts through the loud sloshing, like when shaking a carton of milk, sound of the blood-goyles when they flap their wings.

Nico slashed the thorned vines off before plunging his sword to the stone. The Orihalcon cracked the tiniest bit. He tried again but the small damage wasn’t doing them any good. After many heavy blows from the sword, the stone seemed to appear unbreakable.

“It won’t break!”

“Try harder!”

Nico was becoming more agitated each time his already tiring arms swing the gold sword that didn’t do much damage to the Orihalcon stone.

Will was having a hard time with his crossbow, Artemis. He simultaneously fire Acid Rain while maintaining the Sphere, but dozens of blood-goyles were forcing themselves through the flickering ball of demon energy. One blood-goyle manages to push the other one to its death towards the Sphere and breakthrough, and attacked Will. The blood-goyle grazed its sharp horns to Will’s calf causing him to fall down.

The sphere shattered. Other blood-goyles circled above them like vultures. Will fell on the ground and clutched at his right leg. He howled in pain but it was only for a moment. He fired Acid Rain before he quickly pressed the crossbow trigger to create another Sphere just in time to shield the two of them from the blood-goyles that came plummeting towards them.

“Hurry, Death Boy!” Tears of anger and pain were running down from Will’s eyes.

Nico exasperatedly glared at the blood goyles, at Will, and then at the weapon on his hand. He groaned in anger and frustration at the stupid stone and its stupid thorned vines that grew back to envelop it again.

He tightly grips the hilt of the sword. The temperature dramatically dropped in zero degrees and the grass withered under his feet. Will turned to see what’s happening. Nico channelled his emotions to the gold sword. It lost its color as if Nico was draining its energy until it turns to black. The sphere turned black and white and everything moves in even more slow motion. It was as if time stood still except for Nico.

He swung the turned-dark-as-the-other-side-of-the-moon sword again, chipping the stone off the thorned vines. It came flying down to the ground. With all his might he struck the sword into the Orihalcon stone. It breaks into pieces.

The fountain collapsed along with the temple rubbles and the Sphere. The blood-goyles disintegrated. Blood and their powdery dust scattered like rain of glitters (and blood).

Nico panted heavily as he fell on his knees, sword planted on the ground to support his weight.

“Are you okay Death Boy?”

Nico turned his head to Will who was pressing pressure on his wounded leg. Nico stood up and walk his way to him. He was staggered in his fuzzy state of mind.

“Yeah, I think.” Nico toppled beside Will, his breath still steaming from the cold. “You?”

“Yeah.” Will croaked, tears still raining from his eyes. “Two-inch deep wound. It’s not that bad but it hurts like hell.”

“Let me see.”

Will removed his bloody hand from his bleeding calf. Nico grimaced at the sight of the slanted line of the wound and the non-stop running blood, “Are you sure it’s not that bad? It looks…” he didn’t finish his sentence. Nico felt like he’s going to be sick, it worsens after seeing that.

Will smiled weakly. “Watch.”

He put a shaky hand on his wound again and hummed a hymn. Nico expected him to glow and bathe in golden light, but he didn’t. Will stopped humming and removed his hand. The wound has healed but it left white scar on his tanned skin.

Nico’s eyes widened then twinkled in amazement. “That’s so cool!”

Will’s smile widens. “I told you, I’m better at healing than fighting.”

“Not a fighter my ass.” Nico said. He laid on the grass, eyes fixed on the still dark sky.   “You’re amazing with that magic crossbow.”

“Well, my aunt is a huntress.” Will said as if it explains everything why he’s good with crossbows.

Nico suddenly remembered what he did inside the Sphere. Like shadow travel, he doesn’t have an idea how he did that.

“I remembered.” he lifts the black sword on his hand. “Sorry about the sword.” He said.

Will gave him a small smile. “It’s okay. I never use a sword anyway.”

“Here.” He returned it back. Will’s crossbow transformed back into green onyx again. The golden sun became a ball of onyx.

“I can fly you to your castle after a bit. Just let me rest for a moment.”

“Okay.” Will smiled and laid his back on the grass, copying Nico’s state.

Nico closed his eyes. The blood-goyles blood was drying off. He was tired, and he could use a nap. Will was just not that far from the kingdom. If something happens they can just run away, and he can fly him into safety as their archers won’t shoot them out of the sky.

He opened his eyes again. He turned his head to face Will but his eyes were met with a barren room and ashen gray walls.

Nico was back at the old creepy cottage.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The name Orcus I used was the other alias of Hades (according to the mythlopedia I read in our school library, TT______TT).  
> I didn't know that Orcus was the god of eternal punishment and broken vows until I read Blood of Olympus (which is what I did on the second week of May, and one of the reasons why I haven’t been able to update this fic. [The other one of my many reasons is the Trials of Apollo {then after reading ToA I read Aristotle and Dante Discover the Secrets of the Universe}]).
> 
> Again, I am so sorry TT_____TT. But I hope you guys enjoyed this long chapter and thank you for reading! :)
> 
> Comments? Kudos?  
> Tell me what you think! :)


	4. The strays and their father

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First of all, I want to say sorry to those who still read this fic. I'm sorry I'm lazy and I got drowned with BL things T_T

The cold grey walls he stared into before he sleeps were the first thing he saw when he opened his eyes. 

Nico doesn’t know if he was really awake because everything seems real. Nightmares seem real when you’re in a cold house filled with restless spirits.

The nightmares wasn’t like the scary ones he had of Menthe, but it was the painful ones, like seeing that same woman smiling at him as she sews on the creaky rocking chair. The moment he laid eyes on her the lonely room bursts with colors. Her head was wrapped in a red cloth; her thin figure made her seem so fragile like a tower of card that one soft blow of the wind would break it down. But, despite her weak frame, her brown eyes mirrors his with a spark that makes him think of warm afternoons and trees swaying on the breeze. She seems real.

“Mom?” He took a step forward.

She spread her arms to receive him but when she opened her mouth to say something everything went black as if someone turned off the light and he was swallowed to the darkness. He appeared in a cavern, he’s not sure how he can say it through the darkness but the vastness and dripping sounds of water makes him think it was what he thinks it is. He was running and someone was holding his hand, leading him towards the light.

“This way, hurry!” the person whom he presumes was dragging his hand said. Their steps were echoing to the vast confinement. The light was blinding as he stepped out from the entrance that he had to cover his eyes with his hand. His eyes readjusted to the sudden brightness he saw wide green plain.

The clouds on the sky were drifting fast. He saw Hazel who looks a few years older than she is now. Her golden hair and silver armor glimmered in the light of the sun. She’s mounting a steed that was as white as snow but its mane and eyes are blue flame. Her eyes were the same and it was fixed far away behind him.

“Hazel?” He didn’t know if she could see him because she was still as a statue.

Nico looks over his back and all he saw was dark skies and red mist like poured squid ink over blood. When he turned back his head he saw the Hazel’s evanescence and the steed. He was left alone the swirling dark mist. The sound of distant storm and chaos was giving an unusually calm effect at the place. It was odd.

The ground he was standing at trembled.  
A tower emerged from the ground reaching for heavens. Seven bells of chained bones were tolling around Nico who was standing at the top. It was a battle arena surrounded by the bells, which were a sculpture of winged skeletons dressed in ancient robes.

Out of the chaos and darkness a gigantic face was formed. Well, it wasn’t really a face because it looks like a head of a person with a void for its face. Nico stared the depths of darkness in front of him. His blood runs cold as it drains from his face. His heart tightens as if there was a rope of fear and terror looping and squeezing around him. Its force pulling him to the black hole then he jerked awake.

 

***

 

Will can’t believe the boy left him alone in the woods.  
Imagine being left alone in the groves of Dodona at witching hour. He almost gone insane if it weren’t for his father’s friend that found him there and lead him back to Casteluciferis.

Though he was born and raised at the magical and beautiful land of Chrysanths, it didn’t stop Octavian from trying to kill Will even if he had stated in his prophecy that the prince will die at the age of sixteen.

Will doesn’t care that much. At a young age, Apollo had told him about the grim prophecy so it was what Will was waiting for and it was the last thing that goes to his mind before he goes to sleep at night. He became pretty much fearless every time he battles the Earthborns that were sent to kill him because aside from he’s expecting to die anytime, Rachel, his god-mother, had also told him her visions about what and whom would attempt to his life

Just the previous day ago she warned him about the ‘winged death’ visiting him in his chamber. He’d been expecting the usual easy defeating sand-based monsters named after the deadly sins or a humongous bat with blood stained fangs and crimson red eyes to come savour his sweet innocent soul. Dozens of Golden Knights stand guard outside his chamber, and same as he, they were ready for the big threat- yet later that night it was a boy with a messy raven hair that looks like a bat wings who happened to fly inside the tower window. He’s small and cute to be the winged death. Will lowered his guard and where did that lead them? The boy shadow traveled them near where the real threat was and ended up fighting the whole flock of blood-goyles.

“So you’re telling me that you were saved by this boy by melting into shadows then teleported you into the groves of Dodona?” Apollo asked looking at his kneeling son with a dead serious face. It was so rare to see his father looking like that. Even in his council meetings his face was as bright as the sun god he is, but now it was as if his father was a different man because of the seriousness in him. It makes Will uncomfortable.

“Yes, but we were quite far from where the temple of Hecate and groves of Dodona. Death Boy clearly didn’t mean it.”

“Death Boy?” 

“The boy who saved me has the aura of death so I call him Death Boy.” The prince raised his head to meet his Apollo’s eyes. “And if he didn’t show up I’d be a cold bloodless corpse by now. Blood-goyles are pretty fast bloodsuckers.”

“Wait, hold up, he has an aura of death, you say?”

Will looked at the king quizzically, “Uh, yes?”

Apollo stared into the blank space. The mechanics of his brain was working in silence and with each second passing the familiar glint of his eyes returns. Then he excitedly jumped off from his throne and hurried his way outside the throne room.

“Dad?” Will called following Apollo.”Where are you going?”

“Olympus.” Apollo cheerfully said with a matching spark of dementia in his eyes. “The dead has risen.”

“Is that a good thing?”

“Of course not, but come with me!” The king disappeared from Will’s sight. The prince immediately moved his legs and staggered to follow his father.

 

***

 

Nico woke up for real, alone and disoriented, mind still hazy when he sat up, not sure if what happened was just a dream or reality. Sunlight was pouring inside the room. The smell of blood was faint.

Bianca screamed a hoarse cry of no’s leaving him more confused.

At first, he thought the voices he heard were of the un-appearing restless-spirits of the creepy cottage house. Soon after, he realized whom those voices belongs. He heard them talking about power and… not being safe? That was what he thinks. He crept to across the other side of the room and pressed his ear on the wall.

“You abandoned us!” He heard Bianca yelled from the other room. “We’re not pups that you can reclaim after.”

“I did all I can to protect this family.” A familiar deep voice of a man said, he tensed. He knew who the man was.

“And what good does that brought us?” Nico rubbed off the tiredness and sleep from his eyes. Judging by her tone, he could picture out Bianca; eyes red and holding back angry tears that were threatening to fall. “Your new wife is dead, your youngest daughter was kidnapped and now missing, how do you call that keeping us safe? You’re not even there when we need you, Dad.”

Nico’s stomach dropped on the floor. She said the word ‘dad’ in mock tone. He crawled and peeked from the doorway in time to see Hades’ eyes flickered with anger, Bianca was facing her back at him. His gaze was fixed on Bianca. Those eyes alone can make Nico’s knees tremble, but Bianca didn’t evem flinch. She held her father’s gaze boldly.

“There’s a war going on between two of the Olympian Houses. The rift with the Titans has not yet healed. It keeps our forces with the other houses divided. If the rest of the minor deities swore an alliance to the Titans there will be pointless bloodshed. If I don’t recruit the gods bastards-“

“Half-bloods.” Bianca corrected.

“-the Earthborns will overthrow Olympus. Earth mother is waking, soon enough they’ll be marching north to Olympus and they are our real enemy. You must set aside your hatred.  
This is the only way you and your brother can survive.”

“By what, sending us to war? And what about Hazel? I can’t let her wander alone in the woods I can’t just leave her! I don’t care about the Earth monsters or your stupid war. If we die, then so be it! We’ll find Hazel with or without your help.”

“I already sent Alecto to look for her. She will be safe.”

“Safe?” Bianca laughed sarcastically, “Can you even hear yourself? How can you be sure that she’s safe when you don’t even know where she is? You already failed protecting us in your so called ‘safest place for children of Hades’. Don’t give us another one of your broken promises.”

Their father gave her a look that clearly says ‘enough’. He took a deep breath and remained calm. “The enemies are doing their best to keep us divided and weak. Neither of us knows what’s about to come. I did what is needed for the better.”

“I don’t care what your definition of better for us is, but I won’t let you take me or my brother. I won’t sit here and do nothing, because no matter what you do we will look for our sister because she’s family.” She pointed her gun at him. “That’s clearly something you will never understand.”

Hades met Nico’s eyes as if he knew that he was there the whole time. He looked at him with distaste.

“You will come with me.” He said in finality. In a flick of his fingers, everything shifted.

 

In a matter of seconds, Nico found himself standing in a bedroom made out of solid obsidian walls with torches burning green fire. The room was spacious. Silver bookshelves were lined against the wall and a wooden desk beside a slanted window. Beside the said shelves was a dresser made out of dark wood; across from it was a nightstand of the same color between two single-person beds. Two big trunks were placed in the foot of the beds.

It was a gothic-themed bed chamber.

‘BANG’

The loud gunshot tore Nico’s attention from adoring the bedroom. The barrel of the gun smokes white yet the shot hasn’t done any damage to the skeleton door.

“You can’t keep us here forever!” Bianca attacked the heavy oak doors with her gun and switched to a sword which Nico doesn’t know where she got. She vigorously slashed her sword but it won’t mar the silver doors. Bianca gets tired of her inane attack and flung herself at the bed, and starts beating feathers out of poor unconscious pillow.

“Bi, stop that.” Nico moves toward her and took the pry the pillow out of her hands.

Bianca stops; her eyes red and tired with deep eye bags. “Nico?”

She jumped on him and wrapped her arms around him as if he’s been away for ten years than a night. “You’re awake.” She took his face in her hands, not believing Nico’s presence. Last night he met a prince who was hunted by Earth monsters, then woke up to Bianca raising her voice at Hades, teleported at an alien place with creepy but cool decorations, and now Bianca was confusing him much more.

“Bi…”

“Good gods, I thought I lost you.” She hugged him tighter. “You’re okay. That’s what matters.”  
She rocked him on her arms like what she always does when they miss their mother and little sister. It was their way of sharing each other’s burdens. Nico knows how much she cares for him because he also cares more than his life for his sisters. He pulled away.

“What? Wait, where are we? How did dad find us?”  
“Underworld. I’m not so sure how he found us but it’s going to be much difficult for us to find Hazel if we’re here.” Bianca looks at him with something he can’t explain on her eyes. It looks like sadness and worry but it quickly changes into her usual ‘older sister and in-charge of everything’ look. “I’ll explain the rest later on if Hades can enlighten us for more information about their war. For now we have to get food, shower, and pack up what we need. We have to come up of a plan to get out of here soon as possible. We need to look for Hazel.”

The unmarred chamber door burst open and a ghoul appeared on the doorway. His skin white as a dead man’s smelly foot, eyes sunken, and his posture was as stiff as if he was a robot with an arrow up on his ass.

“Lord Hades expects you to be bathed before you go down the banquet hall for dinner.” The ghoul said,

“Banquet hall? Dinner?” Nico can’t help but ask excitedly out of the serious ambiance they were just having. It’s been weeks since he and Bianca had decent meals. All they ever had were the last of the season’s fruits and weird things that looks edible in their eyes. Bianca took his hand as the ghoul lead them the way. After an hour and a half, the siblings were squeaky clean, and fresh when they entered the banquet hall.

Nico was expecting a grandiose feast, but why the heck would he expect that? It was the Underworld.

They found their father on the head table, on his left was a beautiful woman with a flower crown on her golden head.

“Sit.” Hades said.

Nico darted his eyes to his father and the woman. Quite mystified by the latter’s presence.

Persephone’s eyes squinted at Nico as if she can read his mind. “I am Lord Hades’ wife.”

“That can’t be, isn’t he married to mom?” Nico asked his sister innocently, but Bianca’s face remained stoic. He pulled the chair opposite of Hades for his sister to sit on and received a pat on his head.

“The gods doesn’t take love seriously as we do, Nico. For them, what matters most is that there were half-bloods to save them.”  
Both deities scowled at the female half-blood. “Wait, let me rephrase it, they need half-bloods to run errands and sacrifice for them.” She sat and met their eyes, “Happy?”

“I do not like this attitude of yours, Bianca.”

“Who cares about what you like or not, you never cared for us.”

The temperature dropped to negative. “Don’t you dare talk back to your father.”

“You never were to us.” Bianca’s piercing glare matched their father’s. “Nico and I will leave after we ate our dinner. We’ll take any available bronze weapon you have here.”

“Just because you’re my daughter doesn’t mean that you can do as you like in my palace.”

“Nico, put your hands on your ears and close your eyes.” Bianca commands to him and he instantly obeyed no questions asked.

“Not because we came from your sperm doesn’t mean that I have to respect you. You may be my father but you never act like one. You lived with us just because mom was there-“

“Ugh, not that woman again.” Persephone sighed,

“Now that she’s gone, you’re free from shouldering responsibilities over us. You don’t have any part in our life anymore, so don’t you ever, EVER meddle in my decisions.”

The red fire of the torches that gives light to the vast room turned green. Hades’s cape of wailing souls gave a deafening scream. Bianca’s face paled but she steeled her nerves and stands her ground.

“Bianca, what’s happening?” Nico asked his sister without opening his eyes.

“Don’t open your eyes until I say so, capire?” Bianca yelled over the wailing sounds.  
Nico nods.

The both of them had an intense glaring contest that would’ve go on forever. Bianca’s nose was bleeding but she didn’t waver. Fortunately, the god’s messenger/herald interrupted the two.

“Lord Hades” a guy in his mid twenties bust in as if it was his house. He’s wearing light blue shirt and pants, the shoes and his cap has two fluttery wings on either sides.  
The unleashed terror of Hades subsides. Bianca wiped away the blood from her nose and removed Nico’s hands from his ears. He drew a deep breath. “What is it Hermes?”

“You were invited to join the council on the 13th of this month.”

“Why?”

“It’s about the war against Titans.”

Hades gave Bianca a look which somewhat says ‘I told you, it’s safer here”, but Bianca looks away and resumed eating what’s in her plate. She gave her brother a portion of her meat.

“And Lord Apollo was asking for your presence on the land of Chrysanths. He said he wishes to speak with you.” Hermes added,

“Why?” Hades asked, quite mystified on the unusual request of his nephew.

“He said that a descendent of yours had saved the heir of Casteluciferis last night.”

A light clang was heard when Nico dropped his eating utensils.

“Nico, what is it?” Bianca worriedly put a hand on his shoulder.

“I-it’s nothing.” Nico lied, but it was obvious that he was hiding something.

Hermes was about to exit the banquet hall when Hades asked the gods messenger one last question.

“Hermes, what is the name of the heir of Casteluciferis?” Hades asked, “He was unheard of.”

“Wilhelm Solace.”

**Author's Note:**

> Well... I tried my best. I hope it wasn't that bad. Next time I'll try to make it better. :) Comment and tell me what you think! ;)


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